Planning your trip to the Grand Canyon

THE BEST WAY TO GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK Grand Canyon Village is on the South rim of Grand Canyon National Park in northwestern Arizona, about 500 miles east of Los Angeles and 80 miles north of Flagstaff. From L.A., take Interstate 10 east to Interstate 15 north to Interstate 40 and follow AZ-64 N to the park’s main south gate entrance.

BACKCOUNTRY PERMITS

Permits for overnight stays in the canyon (other than in developed campgrounds on the rim) must be obtained through the park’s Backcountry Information Center and may be reserved up to four months in advance—to the day, ideally, especially during the spring and fall. A limited number of last-minute permits for campgrounds within the canyon, including Bright Angel Campground, are issued at the Backcountry Information Center in person, with usually a couple days’ wait depending on the season.

TO LEARN MORE

Grand Canyon National Park; (928) 638-7888, https://www.nps.gov/grca. Backcountry Information Center, (928) 638-7950.